Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood are kicking off their annual “Halloween Horror Nights” events with a terrifying commercial created in partnership with TM Advertising and directed by Eli Roth, the filmmaker behind such horror features as Hostel and Cabin Fever. This marks Roth’s spot directing debut produced by Tool of North America.
The campaign includes one :30 and four :15 TV spots which began airing just after Labor Day weekend. Also included in the campaign is this two-minute director’s cut entitled The Mourning After posted by Roth online.
The spots feature a group of friends that find themselves at a twisted Halloween party. Things quickly take a dark turn as the group encounters an array of references that pay tribute to the horror films and television-themed mazes guests will experience as part of “Halloween Horror Nights.” These include FX’s critically-acclaimed, Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning television series, American Horror Story, Stanley Kubrick’s psychological horror film, The Shining, and the upcoming SAW: The Games of Jigsaw movie.
Lisa Bennett, chief creative officer at TM said, “We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect person to direct this year’s campaign. Eli is a passionate filmmaker, an expert when it comes to this genre and a huge fan of ‘Halloween Horror Nights.’”
Roth shared, “I first got involved with ‘Halloween Horror Nights’ as a fan–I felt that I was in a horror movie and I didn’t want it to end,” said Roth. “For this spot, I wanted to pay homage to these brilliant and scary films, and yet put my own spin on it.”
